Bottle-washing machine.



No. 867,310. 1 PATENTED 0011,1907. v D. B. SHAW. BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4. 1908.

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J N I I Q Q 1 w" R 29mm; Z I I 6 Mb PATENTED OUT. 1.19.07. 7 D. E. SHAW.BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. SHAW, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed August 4, 1906. Serial No- 329,154.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID E. SHAW, residing in Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Bottle-Washing Machines, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which area part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a machine for thoroughlycleaning bottles on the interior and the exterior, the bottles beingplaced on guides and forced upon rotary brushes into a locking positionwhere they receive an injection of cleaning liquid with which therotating brush cleans the interior and being turned by the frictionalcontact of the rotating brush to clean the exterior by bearing againstthe guides in a cleaning solution.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel means for driving aseries of rotating brushes from a common source of energy by beltingthem together by a belt which crosses between the pulleys of the successive brushes Another object of this invention is to provide forautomatically starting the injection of cleaning liquid into a thebottle as the bottle is forced onto the rotary brush and forautomatically stopping the flow of cleaning liquid when the bottle isremoved from the brush, the bottle being adapted to be locked on thebrush in a position to continue the injection of cleaning liquid andserving to discharge the same into a separate receptacle from that inwhich the bottle body remains.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thebottle washing machine herein claimed, its parts and combinations ofparts and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in the several views; Figure 1 is aplan view of a bottle Washing machine constructed in accordance withthis inven tion; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof taken on theplane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional viewthereof taken on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is acentral sectional view of one of the tubular spindles with its rotarybrush.

In these drawings 6 represents a pair of tanks which may be separate asshown or otherwise. A feed pipe 7 extends between the tanks and isrigidly supported in place in any suitable manner with a counter shaft 8journaled thereon. The counter shaft is provided with a belt pulley 9 tobe belted with any suitable driving mechanism and a grooved pulley 10for driving a series of rotary brushes. The feed pipe 7 connects withany suitable source of supply of cleaning liquid underpressure,preferably with the water mains, and at intervals has T-connections 11connected by couplings 12 with .i-connections 13 which form journalbearings for tubuend of the series which is carried by a frame 18slidably i mounted on the feed pipe 7 so as to move toward or away fromthe series of pulleys 15. This pulley 17 forms a belt tightener and isgiven a tendency to move in the direction to keep the belt 16 tight bybeing connected with a weight 19 suspended therefrom by a cord 20passing over a pulley 21 on the end of the feed pipe 7.

The T-connection 13 for each tubular spindle 14 is more than a merejournal bearing therefor as it serves to establish communication betweenthe interior of the tubular spindle and the supply pipe 7, the tubularspindle being provided with perforations 22 which come into registerwith the opening leading from the supply pipe and the ends of thebearing being protected by right and left hand packing glands 24 to prevent the escape of liquid therefrom. The pulley 15 by abutting against apacking gland 23 on one side of the bearing prevents a longitudinalmovement of the tubular spindle in one direction and a set collar 24 onthe tubular spindle prevents a longitudinal movement in the otherdirection by abutting against the other packing gland.

The ends of the tubular spindles 14 are reduced in internal diameter toform shoulders or valve seats 25 and a tubular stem 26 fits in each ofthese reduced end portions with an enlarged head at its end forming avalve 26, there being openings 27 in the stem a short distance from thevalve to establish communication between the tubular spindle and thestem when the stem is forced inwardly to move the valve 26 from thevalve seat 25. The inward movement of the stem is limited by a set pin28 thereon riding in a longitudinal slot 29 of the tubular spindle, thisarrangement also serving to cause the stem 26 to rotate with the tubularspindle. The "tubular spindle has tufts to constitute a rotary brush 30and at the forward end there are inclined openings 31 in the stem 26 todischarge cleaning liquid into the bottoms of the bottles when they areplaced on the brush and forced against the end of the stem so as to openthe valve 26.

The. tanks 6 are divided by partitions 32 near one edge thereof, themain portion of the tank being intended to contain a strong alkalinesolution and the narrow space between the partition and the edge of thetank next thereto being adapted to discharge through spouts 33. Withinthe main portion of the tanks and beneath each rotary brush there is aV-shaped guide 34 connection 16 to cause the rotation of the rotarybrushes 30. These brushes dipping into the alkaline cleaning solution inthe main portion of the tanks take up some of the cleaning solution sothat when a bottle is forced along a guide 34 and onto one of the rotarybrushes, the alkaline cleaning solution is carried into the bottle andthe brush rotating therewith removes the foreign matter from theinterior of the bottle, and as the bottle is pressed against the end ofthe brush stem to open the valve 26 a supply of water or other cleaningor rinsing liquid is injected into the bottle through the openings 31.The engagement of the head of the bottle with a V-shaped notch 35 of thepartition 32 serves to hold the bottle in the position where it willkeep the valve op en and allow of the cleaning operation to continuewhile the operator proceeds to place another bottle on the next rotarybrush in a like manner. I

Besides the bottle becoming thoroughly cleansed on the interior, thefriction of the brush therewith causes it to turn in the guide, and theguide bearing against the outside of the bottle with the assistance ofthe alkaline solution in the tank removes the label and all otherforeign matter so that the exterior of the bottle is also thoroughlycleaned.

While the liquid injected into the bottles is referred to as a cleaningliquid and may be a chemical preparation for more thoroughly removingforeign matter from the interior of the bottles than would be the casewith water, it is obvious that hot or cold water or another rinsingliquid may be employed with the function of rinsing the bottle after thecleaning liquid has been used therein by the rotary brushes.

When the brushes have all been supplied with bottles, the operator thenbegins to remove the bottles first placed in position and replace themwith other bottles to be cleaned, the number of rotary brushes providedfor each operator being as many as are required to allow each bottle toremain in place the desired length of time.

With this apparatus the alkaline solution with which the bottles arewashed on the interior and also on the exterior is not diluted by therinsing liquid, for the Water passes from the mouths of the bottles intothe smaller compartment of the tank and is discharged through the spouts33.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A bottle cleaning machine, comprisinga tank containing cleaning liquid, a rotary brush dipping in thecleaning liquid and adapted to have a bottle placed thereon, means forinjecting a liquid into the bottle when the bottle is forced onto thebrush and means for keeping the injected liquid separate from the liquidin the tank.

2. In a bottle washing machine, a tubular spindle connected with aliquid supply and having a valve seat, a tubular stem slidably fittingin the tubular spindle and provided with a valve for engaging the valveseat, and a rotary brush on the stem adapted to receive a bottle and beforced thereby to open the valve and permit the liquid to be injectedinto the bottle through the tubular stem.

3. In a bottle washing machine, a tubular spindle having connection witha liquid supply and provided with a valve seat, :1 tubular stem fittingin the spindle and having a valve on its end for normally closing thevalve seat, a set pin on the tubular stem riding in a slot ot thetubular spindle, and a rotary brush formed on the tubular stem andadapted to receive a. bottle, there being an inclined opening in the end01' the tubular stem through which liquid may be injected into thebottle when the stem is moved by means of the bottle to open the valve.

-l. A bottle washing machine, comprising a. tank con taining cleaningliquid, a rotary brush dipping into the cleaning liquid 01 the tank andadapted to receive a bottle thereon, means for injecting liquid into thebottle when it is in position on the brush, and means [or receiving theliquid from the bottle mouth and carrying it away without mixing it withthe liquid in the tank.

5. A bottle washing machine comprising a pair oi tanks containingcleaning liquid, a liquid supply pipe, T'conncctions communicating withthe liquid supply pipe and sup ported thereby, tubular Spindlesjourualed in the T(:on nections, grooved pulleys carried by the tubularspindles. means in connection with the grooved pulleys for driving thetubular spindles, said tubular spindles having com municution with thesupply pipe through the T-connee tions, valved tubular stems in the endsoi the spindles, rotary brushes formed thereon, partitions in the tanks,and V-shaped guides 011 the partitions for engaging the out side of thebottles when they are placed on the rotary brushes, the tubular stemsbeing adapted to inject liquid into the bottles when the bottles arepressed thereon, and the partitions being adapted to engage the heads ofthe bottles to hold them pressed against the tubular stems, the liquidpassing from the months 01' the bottles and into the tanks on the otherside 01' the partitions.

(i. In a bottle washing machine, a tubular spindle hav' ing connectionwith a liquid supply and provided with a valve seat, a tubular stemlitting in the spindle and having a valve for normally closing the valveseat. a pin on the tubular stem riding in a slot of the tubular spindle,and a rotary brush formed on the tubular spindle and adapled to receivea bottle, there being an opening in the tubular stem through whichliquid may be injected into the bottle when the stem is lnoved by meansof the bottle to open the valve.

7. In a bottle washing machine, a grooved drive pulley lixed in itsposition, a grooved take up pulley adjustable with relation to the drivepulley, an intermediate grooved pulley, a belt connecting the severalpulleys and crossing itself between the drive pulley and theintermediate pulley and between the intermediate pulley and the take uppulley, a tubular spindle carried by lhe intermediate pulley, a waterjacket surrounding the tubular spindle and communicating therewith, anda brush carried by the spindle and supplied with water theretrom, thesaid intermediate pulley being balanced by the opposing tort-es thereonso as to require no tixed bearings and to relieve the water jacket fromwear.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

DAVI I.) E. SllA \Y.

Witnesses R. S. C. CALDWELL, ANNA I Scn'mnrnmnn.

